2024 Entrepreneur Of The Year, Minnesota Finalists
Sean Higgins
CEO BetterYou
FOUNDED: 2018
HEADQUARTERS: St. Paul
MISSION: To help people spend more time engaged in healthy behavior.
MAJOR IMPACT: BetterYou built an AI companion that allows people to find more time in their days to engage in healthy habits, such as sleep and exercise. A Stanford
University study found that people who had
BetterYou on their phones for 2.5 months got 32 more minutes of sleep per night. Recognizing that people waste time on their phones, Higgins decided to use phones as a means of creating positive change in people’s lives.
Margaret Murphy
Founder and CEO Bold Orange Co.
FOUNDED: 2018
HEADQUARTERS: Minneapolis
MISSION: To help brands perform well through authentic human connections.
MAJOR IMPACT: The company grew rapidly between 2021 and 2024, and now serves more than 50 leading brands. With employees located in 15 states, some of the well-known brands in Bold Orange’s client roster are eBay, Intuit, and Citibank. In 2021, Murphy acquired Three Deep Marketing, which allowed her to add expertise in digital media, SEO, data strategy, and Salesforce. The company was profitable in its first year of operation.
Craig O’Halloran
CEO Foss Swim School
FOUNDED: 1993
HEADQUARTERS: Eden Prairie
MISSION: To make children safer around water by teaching them to swim.
MAJOR IMPACT: Founded in a church pool, this company has been committed to reinvesting profits back into the business and supporting a culture of continuous improvement. Foss has grown tremendously. It now employs more than 1,100 people and operates 28 swim schools in six states. By pursuing “regional density” in locating swim schools, Foss has created operating and marketing leverage and a good return on investment.
Paula Gamer
President and CEO Gamer Packaging Inc.
FOUNDED: 1987
HEADQUARTERS: Minneapolis
MISSION: To offer customers the best options in stock and custom packaging.
MAJOR IMPACT: Gamer emphasizes that the company’s financial success is based in large part on the quality of her employees. “By fostering a culture of inclusivity, collaboration, and fun, she has created an environment where every team member can excel,” according to her EY nomination. Company growth was accelerated by expanding into custom spirit bottles, ready-to-drink cocktail packaging, and resealable cans.
Mark Watkins
Founder and CEO Geneva Capital LLC
FOUNDED: 2000
HEADQUARTERS: Alexandria
MISSION: To finance capital equipment in niche industries in the United States.
MAJOR IMPACT: Geneva Capital has grown from a five-employee company to a full-service direct lender that employs 86 people. Some key industry niches that Geneva serves are graphic arts, health and fitness, apparel, fabrication, and printing. Since 2009, Watkins has been allocating a percentage of Geneva’s annual revenue to community projects. Watkins has grown the business by entering a niche market, creating brand awareness, and developing relationships.
Joel Peterson
Founder and CEO iSPACE Environments
FOUNDED: 1993
HEADQUARTERS: Minneapolis
MISSION: To create modern, efficient workspaces for commercial markets.
MAJOR IMPACT: The company has built a good reputation for integrating furniture, technology, and architectural elements with comprehensive design, installation, and technology support services. The result is a workplace that is functional, has good access to technology, and has an attractive visual appeal. Among the company’s clients are corporate offices, financial institutions, legal firms, colleges, and hospitality venues.
James Loffler
President
Jim Loffler
CEO
FOUNDED: 1986
HEADQUARTERS: St. Louis Park
MISSION: To provide innovative solutions and managed services to support customers.
MAJOR IMPACT: Loffler Companies has become the largest privately owned business technology and services organization in the Upper Midwest. Since 2006, it has experienced major growth through strategic acquisitions. The business entered 13 markets. Loffler has evolved with technology offerings, which include managed cybersecurity solutions and cloud-based unified communications.
Pat Chinander
Founder and CEO Love From USA Group
FOUNDED: 1979
HEADQUARTERS: Shoreview
MISSION: To offer distinctive products in major airports and unique retail venues.
MAJOR IMPACT: Chinander started this business with a kiosk and has grown it to 19 brick-and-mortar locations across the United States. Primary markets are the Twin Cities, Chicago, Orlando, Denver, and San Francisco. With Mission Yogurt as a partner, last fall the company opened three travel, news, and convenience retail locations in the Denver airport. About 62% of the company’s employees are women, with nearly half of them women of color.
Ryan Bosshart
CEO phData
FOUNDED: 2014
HEADQUARTERS: Minneapolis
MISSION: To solve real-world data engineering, operations, and advanced analytics problems.
MAJOR IMPACT: This company brings together data scientists, consultants, engineers, and architects for expert modern data stack and cloud services. Its data and visualization work was used by a customer to manage the FDA approval process for cell-based gene therapy. It has grown organically by expanding phData’s capabilities and employee base. Also, a wider breadth of service offerings resulted from a 2021 acquisition.
Jeff Kiesel
President and CEO Restaurant Technologies Inc.
FOUNDED: 1999
HEADQUARTERS: Mendota Heights
MISSION: To provide commercial kitchen solutions for almost 40,000 U.S. customers.
MAJOR IMPACT: The company automates difficult kitchen tasks for quick-service and full-service restaurant chains, independent restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, resorts, hospitals, and other customers. It eliminates the manual handling of cooking oil through an automated solution that delivers, stores, filters, monitors, and removes oil. The company also automates hood and flue cleaning to reduce fire risks and create a cleaner work environment.
Brian Roers
Owner and Co-founder
Kent Roers
Owner and Co-founder
FOUNDED: 2012
HEADQUARTERS: Plymouth
MISSION: To partner with investors to deliver institutional-quality apartments in high-demand neighborhoods.
MAJOR IMPACT: The multifamily real estate investment firm was founded by brothers Kent and Brian Roers. The firm offers real estate investment opportunities to private individuals through its market-rate apartment projects. It’s also involved in affordable housing developments, historic redevelopments, and senior apartment communities.
Bret Weiss
President and CEO WSB
FOUNDED: 1995
HEADQUARTERS: Golden Valley
MISSION: To provide design and consulting services that improve how people interact with physical spaces.
MAJOR IMPACT: Through 49 offices in 10 states, this firm specializes in engineering, community planning, environmental, and construction services. Weiss turned a small engineering firm into a full-service design solutions company. In addition to organic growth, the firm expanded over the past seven years through acquiring seven companies. In recent years, the company entered new markets, including renewable energy and tribal communities.
